Game board construction



May 7, 1963 R. l.. ERICKSON 3,088,740

, GAME BOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed OG.. 301 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROBERT l.. ERICKSON INVENToR.

www5@ May 7, 1963 R. l.. ERICKSON 3,088,740

GAME BOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 3o, 1961 g sheetsheet 2 FIG@ HOT 2 Z I9 l// 24 ROBERT L. ERICKSON INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,088,740 GAME BOARD CONSTRUCTION Robert L. Erickson, 804 E. Loomis St., Ludington, Mich. Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,413 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-126) This invention relates to game board construction, and the preferred form has been developed in conjunction with the type of board used in playing the wellknown game of Carroms The general characteristics of these boards are almost standard, and include a square playing surface surrounded by a boundary rail. Objects of various shapes are moved or propelled over the surface, and these boards commonly are equipped with corner pockets for receiving the movable objects.

The Wide use of these games has resulted in a demand for reduced cost, bu-t the movements of the games played on them require lthe maintenance -of a planar and undistorted surface. 'Ihe present invention provides a construction giving freedom from warping without excessive structural material, and with a simplicity of assembly that produces economy without sacrifice of alignment. The advantages of this construction include the fact that the components can be entirely pre-formed and prefinished prior to assembly, with the assembly as the final operation. Defective pieces resulting from faulty processing are thus eliminated prior to final assembly. The machining of strip stock and the application of finishes to flat panels are far simpler operations than the machining and finishing of large assembled units of non-planar configuration. The panels, when finished separately, can be coated by a rolling technique that produces a superior finish to a spray application in a given time, and wastes less of the finish material. The construction provided by this invention also eliminates the need for a trimming operation required by conventional construction after assembly to remove irregularities due to inaccurate joinery.

It is at the corners of a game board that the principal structural problems exist, due to the discontinuity of the panel providing the playing surface at this point, and also due to the necessity of supporting the pockets at these points of discontinuity. 'Ihe several features of the invention will be analyzed in detail through a discussion of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE l presents a perspective view showing the corner member of a game board, with the remainder of the game board being indicated generally in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 presents a fragmentary perspective view of the corner area of an assembled game board.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on an enlarged scale on the plane III- III of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a corner rail, on an enlarged scale, and shown detached from the corner member illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a plan view of the corner member shown in FIGURE 1 in engagement with the adjacent corner rails.

FIGURE 6 is a section on the plane VI--VI of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a section on the plane VII-VII of FIG- URE 5.

The game board construction provided by this invention is most clearly shown in FIGURE 2. The panel -10 providing the playing surface is conventionally manufactured from a thin sheet of plywood, and a discontinuity as shown at 11 is cut out at each corner to receive the pockets 12 of netting for receiving movable objects propelled across the surface of the panel 10.

ICC

The game boards are usually reversible, with illustrations and diagrams being incorporated on the surface of the opposite sides, conforming to particular games. Each of the corners of the board is defined by a molded corner member 13 engaged by adjacent Wooden rails as shown at 14 and 15. The rails are grooved along the length as shown at 16 for receiving the panel 10, and also for receiving the portion 1`7 of the corner member 13. The rails 14 and 15 are both machined at the ends as shown in FIGURE 4, which provides a tenon 18 received in the ends of the corner member `13. The groove 16 is of suicient depth -to extend into the tenon portion 18, which permits the surface 19 to be provided with a groove 20 for receiving the wire member 21 used to lock the netting 12 in place. The wire member 21 is initially formed in such a manner that it requires considerable constriction to be inserted in the assembled position shown in FIGURE 2, and its resiliency will hold it in position in lthe manner of a retaining ring. The cut-out 11 in the panel 10 is grooved as shown at 22 in FIGURE 3, and the assembly of the unit involves the engagement of the wire 21 Wi-th the mesh of the netting 12, and the placement of both within the groove as shown. The groove 20 in the corner member 13 is in co-planar relationship With the groove 22 of the panel 10, and the engagement shown in FIGURE 3 is continued around the corner member to complete the support of the netting 12.

It is preferable that the ends of the rails 14 and 15 have a fairly tight fit with the end recesses in the corner member 13, and it is also preferable that the axial projections 17 have a close fit With Ithe groove 16 of the rails so that a key and keyway relationship is established for assisting in the maintenance of the alignment of the rails and panel for prevention of a tendency to Warp. It is preferable also that the inner surfaces of the corner members 13 to be provided with spurs as shown at 23 and 24 in FIGURE 7 for engagement with the ends of the Wooden rails, these spurs tending to improve the solidity of the engagement. The result of the engagement will cause an indentation or marking as indicated at 25 and 26 in FIGURE 4. It is preferable that the corner members 13' be made of a molded plastic material, and there is no difficulty in providing sufficient strength in this material for the solid mortise-tenon engagement with the Wooden rails. The simplicity of the resulting assembly operation is extremely valuable, since all of the components have an interfitting relationship which establishes alignment and removes the necessity of auxiliary fastenings. A slight amount of adhesive at the point of engagement between the tenons 18 of the rails and the inner surfaces of the corner members d3 will solidly bind the unit together. Adhesive can also be incorporated in the grooves 16, if desired. It is also possible to apply adhesive in fthe grooves 16 without incorporating adhesive at the tenons 18, since adhesive either in the grooves 16 or in the tenon area Will result in solidly closing the entire assembly.

The outer configuration of the corner members 13 is best shown in FIGURE 6, and particularly in comparison between FIGURES 6 and 7. At the position of the plane VI-VI of FIGURE 5, the edges 27 and 28 exhibit a substantial radius of curvature, and this configuration changes at the ends to the section shown in FIGURE 7 to more effectively receive the ends of the rails 14 and 15. The outer configuration of the corner members y13 is defined by the flanges 29, 30, and 31, which provide convenient places for holding and manipulating the board, in addition to exhibiting a characteristic and attractive appearance.

The particular embodiments of the present invention 1 invention dsclosed'herein, excepty as I am limited by the prior art.

I claim: 1. A ga-meboardrconstruction, comprising: 'edge rail means including portions of similar cross-sectiondisf posed on intersecting axes, 'said edge rail means having a groove on the inner face thereof and a tongue at the end of each of said portions, said groove extending along said tongue; an arcuate corner member having recesses provided Withspur means for receiving said tongues, and having ridges normally engaging the portions of said grooves inxsaid tongues, said corner member having a groove on the :inner face thereof in coplanar relationship'vvith said rail grooves; panel means'received in said rail grooves and-'having a cut-out deiining an opening with saidcorner member, said panel means having an edgeY recessat said opening; pocket rneansdisposed in said opening; and a retaining ring engaging said panel recess andsaid corner member' groove for securing said pocket means.

v2. A game board construction, comprising: edge rail means including portions of rsimilar cross-section disposed on intersecting axes, said edge rail means having a groove on the inner face thereof and a tongue at the end of each of said portions, said groove extending along said tongue; a corner member having recesses for receiving said tongues, and having ridges normally engaging the portions of said grooves in said tongues, said corner member having a -groove on the inner face thereof in coplanar relationship with said rail grooves; panel meansv received in said rail grooves and having a cutout defining an openingwithsa'id corner member, said panel means having an edge'recess at'said opening; pocket meansv disposed in ,saidl opening; and a retaining -ring engaging said panel recess and said corner member groove for securingsaid pocket means.

References Cited inthe iile of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 524,353 Rudolph Aug. 14, 1894 666,749 Fuller et al Jan. 29, 1901 1,859,794 Rathbun -May 24,' 1932 2,214,187 Swedman Sept. 10, 1940 

2. A GAME BOARD CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: EDGE RAIL MEANS INCLUDING PORTIONS OF SIMILAR CROSS-SECTION DISPOSED ON INTERSECTING AXED, SAID EDGE RAIL MEANS HAVING A GROOVE ON THE INNER FACE THEREOF AND A TONGUE AT THE END OF EACH OF SAID PORTIONS, SAID GROOVE EXTENDING ALONG SAID TONGUE; A CORNER MEMBER HAVING RECESSES FOR RECEIVING SAID TONGUES, AND HAVING RIDGES NORMALLY ENGAGING THE PORTIONS OF SAID GROOVES IN SAID TONGUES, SAID CORNER MEMBER HAVING A GROOVE ON THE INNER FACE THEREOF IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID RAIL GROOVES; PANEL MEANS RECEIVED IN SAID RAIL GROOVES AND HAVING A CUTOUT DEFINING AN OPENING WITH SAID CORNER MEMBER, SAID PANEL MEANS HAVING AN EDGE RECESS AT SIAD OPENING; POCKET MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID OPENING; AND A RETAINING RING ENGAGING SAID PANEL RECESS AND SAID CORNER MEMBER GROOVE FOR SECURING SAID POCKET MEANS. 